Road-grader.



\ J. R. PILE.

ROAD GDADEB. APPLIcATwN mi rsa. 2o. 1912.

Patented Da. 4, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Tes' T @Ad PAEIW @FFI@E "JOHN E. PILE, or owENsEoRo,KENTUCKY, Assiaivoru To INTERNATIONAL FARM IMPLEMENT COMPANY, orowENsEono, KENTUCKY.

ROAD-GRADER.

maaier;

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. d, 191'?.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. Pinna citi-` zen of the United States,residingat. Owens-` boro, in the county ofDaviess and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Graders, ofwhich the following is a specification. t

VThis invention relates to grading and ditching machinery, and oneobject thereof is to provideV a novel means forraising and lowering theblade from the drivers seat so that the blade may be readily set at anydesired working position. A further object of the invention is toprovide novel means for vertically adjusting the ends of the bladeindependently of each other -so that the machine may be set at a steepangle to cut ditches of any desired depth and with the top of the sameany desired: width. A further object of the invention is to providemeans for preventing the bladecarrying frame from dragging on the groundand a stillv further obJect is to kprovide means whereby the driversseat may be adjusted to a level position notwithstanding the machine maybe operating at a steep angle. A furtherobject vof the invention is toprovide novel means for reversing the angle of the blade, and theinvention also seeks to improve the generalconstruction and arrangementof theparts of a road grader to theend that the eiliciency of the samemay be increased and the life thereof prolonged. i

A machine embodying my present im. proveniente is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-v Figure 1 is' aside view of an improvedroad grader; i i

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

i F ig. 3 s an enlarged side elevation of aV portion of `the machine`showing the blade and gage roller set to different positions than thosein which they appearin F1g.`1;

Y Fig. 4L is a detail sectional elevation of the gage roller and itshandle;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the seat and its support;

Fig; 6 is a sectional elevation of the colter;A

. In carrying out my invention, I employ -a pair of beams l andQ-v whichvare of similar formation and have their rear ends turned downwardly toprovide standards 3, The beams areset in parallel relation and at theirfront ends are providedwith clevises ordraft hooksl, the draft hook onthe beam lbeing engaged by a hook 5 which is carried by a link 6 andthereby connected to one end of a whiiiietree or draft bar 7. The hookA, secured to the beam 2, is carried by a chain 8, one link of which isengaged byV a hook 9, similar in all respects to the hook 5, which isconnected with thev vdraft baror whiftletiee 7 by a link 10 correextendrearwardly therefrom and receive the axle 14 in their rear ends,saidwaxle Vbeing equipped, adJacent the ends of the Vsaid plates orbrackets 13, with sleeves 15 hav- `ing their inner ends tapered, asshownl at 16, and their outer ends constructed with recesses or seats toengage the endsof the said brackets 18 whereby the said sleeves will beprevented Vfrom rotating. A colter 17 is fitted over the axle, betweenthe ends of the bracket 13, and is provided with hub members 18 whichare secured to the colter by bolts or similar fastening devices 19. rIhe outer ends of the hub members 1S are indented, as shown at 20,.,toprovideconical chambers or seats which receive the tapered extremities16 of the sleeve 15 so that the colter and its hub may rotate freelyupon the said sleeves and will also be permitted to oscillate slightlyto accommodate the diiferentvpositions of the apparatus. It will also bencted that the hub members 18 provide wide surfaces immediately adjacentthe opposite faces of the colter which are to rest upon the upper sideof an arched plate 23 provided with a central longitudi` nal slot 24through which the bolt 25, securing the spacing block or plate 22 to theseat, may pass. vA washer 26 and al nut 27 are 4mounted upon the lowerend of the boltY 25 so as to secure the seat in any position to which itmay be adjusted. The ends oi' the arched plate 23 are secured to theupper ends or' the supporting links or bars 28 and 29 which extenddownwardly from the said arched plate, the lower ends of the bars 29'being fitted upon the axle 14 and the lower ends of the bars 28 beingsecured to the bracket 13 at the point where said bracket is secured tothe standard 3. It will be readily understood that by adjusting thespacer plate or block 22 along the arch 23, the seat may be secured in alevel position notwithstanding that the blade may be working at asteepfangle on the wall of a ditch.

A. guide pin 30 is secured in and rises from the front end of thebracket 13 in advance of the standard 3 and the upper end of said pin issupported by a similar plate or bracket 31 secured to the standard 3near the upper end thereof. sleeve 32 is slidably mounted upon thestandard 3 between the brackets 13 and 31 and has its front end fittedaround the guide pin 30 and constructed with an opening 33, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3.V A bracket 34 is secured tothe rear side or the plate35 at the end of the same and this bracket is provided with rearwardlyprojecting lugs 36 at its upper and lower ends which slidably engage theguide pin 30 and receive between them the front end of the sleeve 32 sothat the movement of the sleeve will be transmitted directly to thebracket 34 and the end of the blade. lTo eiect the desired verticalmovement of the slidable sleeve 32, a link 37 is pivoted at its lowerend to said sleeve andY at its `upper end to the lower or rear extremityof an angle lever 38 which is fulcrumed upon the beam and extends abovethe same. The lever is equipped with a latch 39 controlled by a handle40 and adapted to engage the notches 41, in a segmental holding plate 42which is secured to and rises from the beam. The parts are so arrangedthat the lever 38 may be easilyv grasped from the seat 21 in front ofwhich it is disposed, and it will be readily understood that by swingingthe lever rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the

`, end of the blade may be lowered while by moving the lever forward tothe position shown in Fig. 3, the end of the blade will be raised. Itwill also be readily noted that the lower lug 36, by impinging upon thefront end of the bracket 13, serves to limit the downward movement ofthe blade while the upper movement of the blade is limited by the upperlug 36 impinging against the bracket or plate 31.

Near the front end of the beam, I pivot l thereto a lever 43 which hasits upper end connected by a link 44 with aV hand lever 45"which ismounted upon the beam byv a pivot pin or bolt 46,`common to the saidlever and the lever 38, the said lever 45 being thus disposedvconcentric to the segment 42, as will be readily understood. The lever45 is equipped with a latch 46 controlled by a handle 47 and arranged toengage notches 48 in the upper edge of the `segment 42, as will bereadily understood.

It will be noted that I employ a single holding segment to retain bothlevers in their set positions and the' opposite ends of the said segmentare secured to :the opposite sides of the beam, the said segment beingconstructed centrallywith a transverse web 49 which serves as a stop toarrest the 'foieA vented. `The wheel is mounted upon an axle 53 securedin the lower end of a fork 54 from the head of which rises a stem 55having a tapered -upper extremity 56 engaging a correspondingly shapedrecess in Aa block 57 secured between the members ofthe frame 50, asclearly shown in Fig. 4. After the stem 55 is inserted throughthe lowerend of the frame 50 and engaged in theseat-in the block 57, a retainingcollar 58 is secured *upon the stem so as to bear upon the lowertransverse end web of the Jframe 50 and thereby prevent the fork 54,with the roller 52 thereon, dropping out of place. It will be readilyunderstood, upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3, that by shifting the lever45 forwardly or backwardly, the

gage roller 52 may be set at a greater or lessV distance from thesurface of the ground and thereby regulate the depth to which the blademay enter the ground.

The blade 35 is held atthe desired angle to the line of draft by a brace59 having one end fitted upon and hung by abolt 60 which secures thedraft link or hook 4 to the front end of the beam, the opposite or rearend of the brace beingA fitted over the upper end of a pin upon thebracket 32 at that side v ofthe apparatus remote from the bolt .60*

and a plurality ofopenings 61 may be formed in the brace or the bracemay be oi telescopic connection soas to accommodate various angles atwhich the blade may be set. A second brace bar 62, similar in allrespects to the brace 59, is disposed between the front ends of thebeams and is supported by an angle bar 63 secured by the boltsconnecting the draft devices to the beams and constructed with anoverhanging lip or flange 64 which is adapted to prof` ject over thebrace bar 62 and thereby re` tain the same in position. It will bereadily understood that the provision of these brace bars effectuallyprevents the blade from shifting into a position parallel with eitherbeam and they also provide for reversing the machine rapidly and withoutexcessive labor. To reverse the machine, the draft-applying devices aredisengaged from the hooks 4; and the chain 8 shifted to the oppositeside of the machine, after which the hooks 4 are again engaged. Thebrace 6l is then disengaged from the pin on top of the bracket 3l andiitted to the position formerly occupied by the brace 62, the end ofsaid brace being fitted upon the pin or bracket which was previouslyfree. If

the draft be now applied to the machine, the

blade will be reversed without the operators being required to lift theweight of either end of the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided anexceedingly simple apparatus by the use of which the blade may beeasilyadjusted in a vertical plane without the operator leaving hisseat. As the machine provides two seats, either one of which may beoccupied, the machine can be easily balanced when working at variousangles. Either end of the machine may be raised or lowered independentlyof the other end so that ditches having their walls disposed at anydesired angle may be readily formed and the device rendered capable ofadvantageous use in form-` ing` terraces. The colters disposed `belowthe supports for the seats will prevent said supports dragging ontheground and thereby unnecessarily increasing the draft of the machine andwill also, owing to their formation, roll upon the surface of the groundand press the same while, at the same time, performing the function ofholding the blade to its work and preventing lateral movement of thesame. The gage wheels may swivel freely so as to readily ride over allobstructions and conform tothe line Vof draft and they will preferablyhave broad, smooth surfaces so that they will determine the depth towhich the blade will cut and will not sink in soft ground.

Upon the back of the blade., I provide pockets or containers which maybe utilized to carry an aX or other tool which may be needed in cuttingroots or stumps found in the path of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a road grader, the combination of a beam, a blade carried by thebeam, a gage mounted upon the beam in advance of the blade, operatinglevers pivoted upon the beam by a common fulcrum, connections be- Copiesof this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing thetween one of the said levers and the blade, connections between theother lever and the gage, a single holding segment mounted upon the beamconcentric with the fulcrum of said levers, and latches upon the leversadapted to engage said segment.

2. In a road grader, the combination of a beam, a blade mounted thereon,a gage mounted upon the beam in advance of the blade, operating leversmounted on the beam by a common fulcrum, connections between one of saidlevers and the blade, connections between the other of said levers andthe gage, a holding segment secured upon the beam concentric with thefulcrum of the levers, and latches upon the levers arranged to engagesaid segment, said segment being constructed to limit the forwardmovement of one lever and the rearward movement of the other lever.

3. In a. road grader, the combination of a beam, a blade carried by thebeam, a gage mounted upon the beam in advance of the blade, operatinglevers mounted on' opposite sides of the beam by a common fulcrum,connections between one of the said levers and the cage, connectionsbetween the other of said levers and the blade, a holding segmentdisposed concentric with the pivot of the levers and havingits oppositeends secured to opposite sides of the beam, an intermediate portion ofsaid segment being disposed transversely of the beam to form a stop forboth levers, and latches carried by the levers and adapted to engagesaid segment.

4;. In a road grader', the combination of a beam, a standard at the rearend of the beam, brackets upon said standard, a guide pin secured in andextending between said brackets, a sleeve slidably mounted upon thestandard between the brackets and constructed to fit aroundV the saidguide pin, a blade disposed in advance of the guide pin, a projection onthe blade engaging said sleeve to be actuated thereby and fitting aroundthe guide pin, and means for moving the said sleeve vertically upon saidstandard.

5. Ina road grader, the combination of a beam, a blade carried thereby,a bracket extending rearwardly from the beam, supporting arms risingfrom the said bracket, an arch connecting the upper ends of said armsand having a longitudinal slot, a spacing block resting on said arch, aseat on said spacing block, and a securing bolt inserted through theseat, the spacing block and the slot in the arch whereby to secure theseat in a set position.

In testimony whereof I afhx my signature.

JOHN R. PILE. [1.. s.]

Commissioner of atents,

Washington, D. C.

